The present invention concerns a process for the contact free determination of the movement of an object with optically differentiatable structure. Processes and devices for this purpose are known in which, in general, relatively expensive optical systems with fixed and movable grids and rasters of prisms are necessary. In spite of this the known systems only enable a relatively exact measurement of velocity but do not allow an indication to be obtained in respect of the direction of movement and hence in respect of the path traversed by the object, insofar as the movement does not always occur in the same direction.